The New Jersey Devils lost their fourth straight game to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime. Nico Hischier had a primed chance to end it, but passed when he should have shot.
The losing streak continues for the New Jersey Devils. After dominating much of the play against the Edmonton Oilers, Cory Schneider allowed two questionable goals (he made other great saves, so I guess it evens out) before losing it in overtime. During that overtime period, number one overall pick Nico Hischier had a primed chance to end it. However, instead of shooting the puck he forced a pass to Taylor Hall and the puck was knocked away.
Hischier on the missed 2-on-1 with Hall in overtime when he decided to pass instead of shoot from the left circle. pic.twitter.com/1cKeUF2JKz
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) November 10, 2017
Based on Hischier’s comments at the end of the game, he knows he made the wrong decision. The issue is this isn’t new. Hischier has done so many things well to start his career, but it seems like he’s still tentative with his shot.
There are many reasons why he may be passing when he should just take a shot. For one, he hasn’t been very lucky lighting the lamp. He only has two goals on the season. Both those goals came against Ottawa three weeks ago.
Even when he is taking shots, they aren’t going in. He’s shooting around seven percent on the season. He’s been robbed over a dozen times. This is all really frustrating, but he can’t let that stop him from being aggressive.
Hischier has a little ways to go when it comes to his confidence. He’s been very good at passing to the right spot, but sometimes a pass isn’t warranted. Even when you have Hall and Kyle Palmieri as your linemates, Hischier has to know when to take his shot.
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This has been a hard stretch for the Devils and its fans. Losing four games in a row, two in overtime, can get frustrating for fans. It gets even more frustrating for players. This is especially true for the rookies. Hischier needs to keep his head on straight. He is still playing very well. He deserves to be the top line center while Travis Zajac is out. However, if he doesn’t start shooting when the timing is right then he could lose that spot when he returns.
This is a small issue in the grand scheme of things. His confidence isn’t shot. His stat sheet has 29 shots in 14 games. It just seems like when he can take the big shot, sometimes he lets someone else do it. He should take the big shot. He’s going to be the face of the franchise one day, so he might as well get used to doing it now.